The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the marvels of human creation in North America. The builders accomplished this monumental undertaking more than one hundred years ago, despite countless obstacles and accidents. The cable-wire suspension bridge was the first of its kind in the world. When the bridge was finally opened to the public, it was a huge curiosity. Pedestrians traveled between Manhattan and Brooklyn for a small fee. Tragically it was during one of those times that the bridge was packed with people that someone shouted, “The bridge is falling!” This thoughtless joke created a panic in the crowd and twelve people were trampled to death in the stampede to get off the bridge.
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John H. Beukema, Stories from God’s Heart (Chicago: Moody Press, 2000).
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[Original illustration at this number was added to HolwickID #49]